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Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

To end Banned Books Week, I've decided to write today's book review on my favorite book in the world...Harry Potter. Or actually, the entire Harry Potter series, since all seven of them have been questioned, challenged, banned and have actually been accused of containing soul-sucking demons in every copy. (No joke, a critic actually wrote an article about demons corrupting young children, every time a Harry Potter book is opened.)
Like many children and young adults, I grew up with Harry. I battled dragons with him, I cast spells with him, I went on adventures with him, Hermione and Ron, and I helped him defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter is, and always will be, a part of my childhood and life.
My sentimental attachment to the series aside and professionally speaking, I believe that Harry Potter teaches bravery, honesty, truthfulness, courage and that good always wins over evil. I believe that J.K. Rowling's writing is excellent in a literary aspect, and I believe that it should be categorized as one of the "100 Books You Have to Read Before You Die." J.K. Rowling is a very inspirational woman. She's donated an incredible amount of money to charities, she's successfully raised three children (at one time as a single mother) and she's constantly working on new ways to make the world a better place. This is not the kind of woman who would strategically place demons in her books to possess children.
The Harry Potter series has been banned a countless (and I mean, COUNTLESS) amount of times for numerous reasons. One, because of the use of witchcraft, wizardry and magic. Two, because of the frightening content. Three, because the children in the story set a bad example for impressionable young minds everywhere. Four, (and the most interesting in my opinion) the implied source behind Harry's magical feats tend to distort a child's understanding of God. (There are more, but I like to keep my blog posts short and sweet.)
One of the MANY things that bugs me about the last one is that Harry Potter fans come in all shapes and sizes, all walks of life and come from all different religions. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism Agnosticism and Atheism, etc.! Harry Potter is not focused on one religion, it does not bash any religion, it has nothing to do with religion whatsoever! I don't understand it, but I also don't understand banning books.
Which brings me to my next point: Burning books.
A common side effect to disliking (banning, hating, etc.) Harry Potter is burning numerous copies. I'm not talking about tossing your own copies into your fire pit. I'm talking about humongous bonfires in the back of a parking lot, covered in various copies of Harry Potter.
If there's one thing I hate more than book banning, it's book burning. There is no reason to destroy books in such a violent and aggressive manner. If you dislike a book, find it immoral, say it goes against everything you believe in, please do not read it. I guarantee you won't want to. Burning books is one of the most horrific things I've ever seen done to literature and I am against it 100%. Even with books I hate, I treasure them like they're gold. They're books. They're meant for reading, not destroying.
But if you want to buy one hundred copies of Harry Potter and give a thousand dollars of your money to J.K. Rowling, be my guest.
In conclusion, Harry Potter (in my opinion) can not be beat. I love it with every inch of my being. I see young kids, just barely of reading age- not even fully speaking yet- getting into The Wizarding World and it fills my heart full of joy. Now, even after the books are done, and Harry's movies are over, the Harry Potter generation still lives on.

About the Connoisseur

Welcome to The Literary Connoisseur, Rebecca's book blog, where I am inclined to ramble on about all things book-related!

Through my blog posts, you'll find books that I recommend, books that give me book-hangovers, book reviews that may have gotten a little too heated, interviews with some special guest speakers, and countdowns to my favorite reads of all-time. (Reviews may vary depending on the excitement level of the fangirl behind the keyboard.)

So here's my blog where I cover everything from the heroism of Jane Eyre, to the teen angst of Twilight, to the depth of To Kill a Mockingbird, to the magic of Harry Potter.

Grab a coffee, or a cup of tea, and enjoy!

WARNING: Comments and opinions are welcome, but heated discussions concerning Teams Edward and Jacob, and whether Severus Snape was a bad guy, are discouraged due to aggressive typing and books thrown in anger.